The Walkmen: UFC 171 Walkout Songs

Hendricks was paired with Robbie
Lawler in the main event of UFC 171 on Saturday at the American
Airlines Center in Dallas. The five-round title fight for the
vacant
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight crown became an
instant classic after Hendricks and Lawler went toe-to-toe for 25
minutes. The tone for the in-cage action was set with the walkout
songs, as both men selected the same reflective tracks they used at
UFC 167 in November.

“50 Dollars and a Flask of Crown” by Bleu Edmondson is a song one
listens to while rocking in a chair on the front porch or sitting
alone in a boat fishing for dinner. Hendricks utilizes the upbeat
tempo of “50 Dollars and a Flask of Crown” to put him in the mood
to rocket unapologetic left hands at his opponent’s face. A 50 spot
and fresh whiskey form the type of spread that could be found at
the post-fight after party of either the winner or the loser.

Because of something known as the “Eminem Curse,” fighters dance
with fate and the supernatural if they select a song from the
Detroit rapper’s music catalogue. A 13-year veteran of MMA, Lawler
experienced a career resurgence after a nine-year sabbatical from
the UFC and a return to the welterweight division. Riding a
three-fight winning streak that included a “Beautiful” Eminem
walkout prior to his bout with Rory
MacDonald four months ago, Lawler was in prime position to
exorcise demons and win shiny belt straps.

Over the course of the five-round championship fight, Hendricks and
Lawler each flashed moments of greatness. In rounds one and two,
Hendricks added kicks to his improved boxing game to rack up
points. Rounds three and four saw Lawler up his aggression, as he
battered Hendricks with punches that stunned the
Team Takedown fighter on multiple occasions.

Heading into the final round, Hendricks gritted his teeth and put
Lawler on his back with a takedown. All three judges scored the
fight 48-47 in favor of Hendricks. With the title victory, “Bigg
Rigg” became the seventh man in UFC history to hold up the
undisputed welterweight belt.

Meanwhile, Tyron
Woodley is not turning back on his run up the UFC welterweight
division’s ladder. Woodley has hitched a ride to inspirational
rapper Thi’sl and his jam, “I Ain’t Turning Back,” for his last few
UFC outings. Training out of
American Top Team, Woodley, once regarded as just a wrestler in
the cage, continues to round out his game with each passing Octagon
appearance.

A huge Rage Against the Machine fan, Carlos
Condit took a different approach with his walkout hype game at
UFC 171. The melancholy sounds of “Further On (Up the Road)” by the
late great Johnny Cash blasted the “Natural Born Killer” to the
cage. The rap metal instrumentation of Rage Against the Machine’s
heavy guitar riffs, along with violent vocals, were a beautiful
marriage between Condit and his aggressive fighting style.

The 31-year-old Woodley’s improved standup was on display in round
one, as he caught Condit with two early right hands. In the second
round, Woodley landed a takedown that injured Condit. The fight
ended after a restart when the two-time NCAA All-American nailed
Condit with a leg kick and the
Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts fighter’s leg gave out. With that,
Woodley had hustled his way into the division’s top 5 and moved
towards a possible title shot before the end of the year.

On the undercard, flyweight up-and-comer Justin
Scoggins continued to excite MMA pundits, not only with his
game inside the cage but with his underrated dance skills en route
to it. The 21-year-old bounced his way to the cage backed by one of
the top pop songs of the past six months. Off the “Despicable Me 2”
Soundtrack, Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” could bring a smile to even
the most stone-faced Scoggins opponent. Now 11-0, Scoggins’ love of
smiling, dancing and the little yellow Minions from “Despicable Me
2” give him a clear edge in the unspoken psychological warfare that
takes place when two fighters step into the UFC’s Octagon.